Hip Hip Hooray.. The Super Daddy saves the day...

We enjoy several PBS shows. Bunny LOVES her Dinosaur Train and Bug LOVES his Super Why!

I never even knew that they had toys for Super Why, so you can imagine my surprise when Jon called me on his lunch break to tell me that he had found a talking Super Why. Bug has never gotten attached to a toy, so I wanted to see his reaction before we got it. He smiled from ear to ear and started rocking back and forth.

Hmmm I think we have a winner.

After we got home and got him out of the package, Bug carried him everywhere! It was so sweet. He would smile so big every time Super why said something or played the theme song.

As you can tell.. Jon made an AWESOME find today!!! Good Job Daddy!!

School Supplies?

I recently made a list of things that I would want to have on hand for "school". I can always plan everything a few days in advance, but when you only have one car... it makes it hard to do last minute activities. I had to sit back and laugh at some of the things that ended up on our school supply list. Most of them were inspired by the blogs that I follow.
I never thought that I would want to keep cornstarch, food coloring, cookie cutters, buttons, and food flavoring on hand.
Do you have things in your craft or school box that you think look a little lost?

TRZ is on FaceBook

I have created a FaceBook page for The Robbins Zoo.

Just another way to kep up with my FB and Blogging peeps. :o)

Please feel free to look me up.. I hope you "like" my new page. LOL

Preschool @ HOME?!?!

My hubby and I have been talking/learning about, researching, and considering home school.
I had no idea that this would be such a hot topic with parents! It has driven a wedge between me and other Moms who I thought would never judge me. Esp for something like this.

As soon as I mentioned that we were looking into it I got sea of funny looks and silence followed by.. "WHAT!?!? Why would you want to do that?" This surprised me. I, myself, would never judge them for their choice of education. I never said anything as I sat and listened to them complain about their kids teachers, the cost of pre-school, the time they have to spend in carpool... I listened because I am a friend. But I felt attacked because I have considered something different. It hurt my feelings (A LOT), but I try to not let it get me down.

I had the same reaction from some family members. Since then, most of them have commented on how much research I have been doing. I find that pretty funny. This is such a huge undertaking! I would never just jump into this with out doing my homework first.

Luckily I also have some other friends who are not judging me. They offer support. What I need most. To those of you.. THANK YOU!! You have no idea how much it means to me!

IF we decide to home school. We want to use a secular curriculum. Do you have any idea how hard that is to find? Oh My GOSH!! That may be my biggest challenge. Though we still have a while before we really need to get to far into that. We can cross that bridge when we get to it. :o)

Now. Bunny is almost 3. While we have been doing projects, learning, and exploring over the past 2 1/2 years, it's almost time to amp up our "school". I am currently making a list of what I want to have on hand. Who knew food coloring would be on my school supply list! LOL

Thank You for reading. Please comment if you have a suggestion for our craft box, item for our list, or a blog to follow, or just want to offer support. Any and ALL support is welcome! LOL . (I don't know what I would do without my blogger friends. You ladies have some awesome ideas!)

You like me.. You reeally like me!

Who knew? Not me. Sadly it wasn't until someone sent me a "Congrats" comment, did I realized that I had been given an award. It made me smile :o)
Two Bears Farm gave me The Versatile Blogger Award.

So the rules of the award are this:1. Thank the person who gave you the award 2. Tell seven things about yourself3. Pass the award on to 15 other bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!(in no particular order)4. Let them know you have awarded them the prize.


So in following the rules (Not something I'm always good at LOL)

Here are 7 things about me that you may or may not know.

1. I LOVE everything about the ocean. Especially SHARKS! I have way to much useless information stuck upstairs about sharks. During Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.. Forget it! I'm not leaving the house.
2. I am afraid of the water. Yeah.. I know. Silly right? It's my primary fascination.. and biggest fear at the same time. Maybe I just know to much about the things that live in there. LOL
3. I am a HUGE fan of my husband. He truly is my best friend. I think we make a great team and I will have no problem taking you down if you say anything bad about him.
4. I struggle with Fibromyalgia. Some days are better than others.. but even if it's a good day I have to choose my battles. I try very hard to stay positive, but good grief that's hard some days.
5. My beautiful little family gives me a new purpose. I adore them more that I could ever express.
6. I was married at Sunrise on Tybee Island Beach almost 5 years ago.
and last but not least...
7. The ladies that I have found through blogger land, have been a community that I have truly enjoyed! You may have a blog helping others learn about homeschooling, teaching others about new ways to spice up your meals (Muffin Tin Monday, Bentos,..) or you simply agree with me, that this adventure we call motherhood is AWESOME!, :o)

And Now... The Awards go to... *drum roll*

1.Two Bears Farm
2. Mama & Company
3. The Martin Zoo (Deserved but is a private blog, so I don't think you will be able to see it)
4. Muffin Tin Monday Blog
5. JDaniel's Mom
6. No Time For Flash Cards
7. Lunchbox Limbo
8. Sippy Cup Central
9. The Fantastic Five
10. The Crafty Crow
11. In The Kitchen With Audrey
12. What's For Lunch At Our House
13. Funny Days With Mommy and Maddie
14. Confessions Of A Homeschooler
15. Adventures Of A Flake
Now that I have listed a few of my favorites.. You ladies ROCK! Thank You for sharing ideas and tips with the rest of us. You make the blogger community ROCK!

Muffin Tin Monday~ Circles

There was no official theme this week. I decided that circles would be pretty easy and she thought it was "sooo FUN!"

I couldn't find my camera this morning.. so I took a picture with my phone and stole it off of facebook. LOL it may not be a picture of much quality.. but you get the idea. LOL

Clockwise: Honey Nut Cheerios, Banana, Fruit Loops, Strawberries, more Banana, and grapes cut in half to show the circle.

For our "craft".. I think we will play with bubbles and find circles around the house. I know.. I'm being a little lazy this week.. but after last week, I need a break. LOL

(For those who don't know.. Our landlords had a bunch of trees cut down and over growth cleared out. (YAY!!!!) Then the guys cut our cable line and split. (Booo!) After a few days with no cable or Internet, it got fixed. (YAY! *happy dance*) Tree guys come back to finish the job. Then to make a long story short there was a incident that included a rather large truck, our fiberglass septic tank, and what is now a great big hole in our yard! (BOOO Hiss!) Then we came home Sat after a nice visit with my family.. only to find our AC had somehow turned into a block of ice! (*Laughs* to keep form crying!) It is currently working well enough until the AC guy gets here.. Last night though.. Strawberry Margaritas! :o) (I don't even care that B&B woke up twice last night. LOL

Our poor landlords live in Ohio and are having to deal with all of this from quite a distance. Ohio -> SC. LOL I should mention that to my knowledge they have handled this very well.

Separated at birth?

We got to see How to Train Your Dragon recently. To our surprise.. Bunny has decided that Our cat Massey looks like Toothless (The Night Fury from HTTYD) She has renamed our poor kitty and will correct you if you call her Massey. LOL
Bunny thought it was EXTRA funny when "Toothless" started chasing a reflection on the wall.. just like the dragon.

Massey.. errrr Toothless has been very understanding about bringing the 2 legged creatures home and allowing them to share the common areas. She's always been very skittish.. I was so proud of her for allowing Bunny to even pet her over the past couple of years. To my shock she didn't get upset Bunny when she forcefully pointed out that Massey has eyes.. by poking her in one of them. But I was SHOCKED when she allowed Bunny to pick her up!! Not once.. but twice to bring her to Daddy. Bunny: "Daddy.. Do you want a dragon? Do you want a Toothless? Ok.. Here you go." Hubby to Massey: "Thank you for not eating the child." followed by gentle pets. All Massey did was have a look on her face as if to say... " I NEED AN ADULT! I NEED AN ADULT!!" LOL

You may notice...

There are a few things new on our blog.

Style, Background, MUSIC... I have a friend who is helping me to spice up TRZ. I'm super excited about this... THANK YOU SO MUCH DONNA!! And to all of you ladies who inspire me everyday to live, love, and laugh a little more... Ya'll ROCK pretty darn hard too.. Thank You for being such a wonderful community.. even if it's only in bloggy world :o)

You can check out her blog. Mama & Company

Muffin Tin Monday ~ No theme/Dinosaur Train.. and a little late

So if things weren't already pretty interesting around here with one car and two kids. We lost our cable and Internet for several days. FUN!!!!! LOL

On the bright side we have a humongous yard now and we can go play outside! :o)

Since there was no official theme.. Our tin this past Monday was in celebration of Dinosaur Train's World Tour!!

Clockwise ~ Pickles, Apple Sauce, Dino Chicken Nuggets, Raisins, Dino Gummies, BBQ Sauce and a Stegosaurus PBJ for good measure :o) To check out what other MTM Families did.. check out Muffin Tin Monday

Our little Bunny is a Dino-Mite!!! She had so much fun and we watched Land Before Time

(No Cable = No Dinosaur Train! *gasp*)

Alligator ~ Aa

We were stuck inside since there are several men outside cutting down trees and clearing overgrowth. Can you think of a better reason to do a letter craft? No? Me either!! :o)

We looked up something fun on one of our favorite blogs (No Time for Flash Cards).. and hit pay-dirt!! Construction paper? check. Glue? check. Markers? check. Bored little Bunny? CHECK!
Instruction to craft are on NTFFC follow the above link to her site.. You won't be sorry :o)

We had a lot of fun with this one. She didn't know where I was going with all of this when I handed her a slightly distorted "A", but when she saw the end product.. She was thrilled.

Feeling a little BLUE...

Guess what we did today! She was so excited.

Bunny was a BIG help! She made sure every last bit was enjoyed.

Who...Us? ... Silly?

Don't be shy, Bunny!

Did I get any on my face?

I have a FABULOUS friend that shall remain nameless.. but it starts with a "Bail" and ends with an "ey". Bailey is a wonderful mother to 4 fantastic children and wife to a soldier who is currently deployed. You can blame her for this blog. If it weren't for her I don't know that I would have ever started blogging. "Big Hugs, Mama!! You ROCK!!!"

She had a great idea and I totally stole it. She made green cupcakes last week. We tried blue this weekend. We'll see what happens with our next color. Bunny and I have REALLY enjoyed this lesson in BLUE.. I have a milk mustache to prove it:o)

Travel Tips

Our friends at Sippy Cup Central shared how they use a car potty. We use one too. It has been huge help for our Bunny. She was scared in public bathrooms. PLUS When you are traveling, alone, with more than one child. Do you really want to get everybody out of the car and only to find a gross public bathroom? I know I don't. :o) It's a gross enough idea with just one child.
(BTW I got a high five from a complete stanger in a Walmart parking lot, who had a 9 month old and was filing ideas in the back of her mind for later on. LOL)

SOOOOO In the spirit or sharing our favorite tricks of the trade... Here's one of mine! Enjoy! :o)

When you are traveling with little ones. Pack everything you would need to completely dress your baby/toddler. (top, bottom, diaper/pull up/undies, socks, bib if he or she still needs one) into a gallon Ziploc bag.
Pack TWO for every day you are going to be gone if possible. This works out great if you are going to parks or will be away from you suitcase for any amount of time. After dressing your child grab another bag full of clothes to take with you. As someone who uses this idea it also keeps your child's bag much neater. LOL
This does two things.
1~ it makes it super easy to get everybody dressed in the morning. No searching for the socks that match an outfit. Just grab a bag, dress, go..
2~ If, for any reason, your child has a spill or potty accident.. you have a change of clothes. BUT You also have a bag to put the soiled items in until you can get to a place to clean them.
I used this when we went to Disney and now use this idea anytime we are going away. Even just for the day.:o) It's FANTASTIC! I wish I could give the person who originally posted this a great big hug, but I can't even remember where I saw it.

Salina

Muffin Tin Monday - Birds/Nests

This week's theme is Birds and Nests.

We made a bird feeder Saturday and plan to make pine cone bird feeders later today.

I had a ton of ideas.. but sadly didn't write any of them down.

...so this is what Princess Bunny got.

Whales (cheese crackers) w/ raisins ~ Around here most of our birds eat fish. Seagulls, Pelicans, Egrets, Herons...
Turkey Sandwich cut into the shape of a duck
Fresh wild BLACK BERRIES and strawberries
Apple & Cheese Slices cut into a shape of a B ~ Princess Bunny has been very interested in letters this week. Bird still starts with "B". Right?
Peanut Butter Granola~ Looks a bit like bird food
Hard Boiled Egg ~ Since birds come from eggs

Check Out Muffin Tin Monday to see what other families did... plus a TON of other things to inspire you. :o)

Later we will color some birds. I found these on line at http://www.first-school.ws/ - We are currently considering homeschooling. I found this site while trying to find free crafts, coloring sheets, and worksheets. We still have a long way to go to make a decision.. but I figure there's no reason I can't find pre-school type things to do. If I understand correctly.. pre-school is mostly inspiring young minds to want to learn and introduction to different ideas :o)

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We have an area that is over grown here in our yard. I don't pay much attention to it.. It's just there. Today I noticed some red specs in the greenery. I thought "It can't be!" I looked a little harder and what did I find, you may ask... Wild BLACKBERRIES!!! The red spec were just berries that have not ripened! I use to pick wild Blackberries when I was little. My Nana and I would go in to the woods, pick berries, come home and bust out the pie tin.

This is what got. A couple handfuls.. before the mosquitoes carried me off.I'm pretty sure our mosquitoes are from the Jurassic era.

FaceBook - FYI

Being a SAHM in a one car family.. FaceBook and my blog have become my best friends. I wanted to let you ladies know that I found a group on FB called Blogging Mommies. There aren't many members as of right now.. but it seems like it could be a fun way to find other bloggers.

Feeding the neighborhood!

Muffin Tin Monday has inspired us to get just a little dirty this weekend. Our theme for this coming Monday is Birds. I had an idea to use this theme to entertain us and help us learn about birds.

Today we made a bird feeder out of a Hawaiian Punch jug.

(My husband found some on sale so now I have all of these bottles waiting to go to recycling.)

The Hawaiian Punch jugs have that great little handle to make it easier to tie onto a branch or whatever you choose to hang it from.

Bunny got some Princess stickers in her potty training kit. We never used them, and since she wanted to "make it pretty" I figured we could put them to use.

I may tilt my head to look at it. Much like I would to an abstract piece of art trying to find the beauty in it.. but Bunny thought it was the most beautiful thing on the island!!! Isn't that what matters? :o)

Moments after hanging it. We had a little bird come check it out. He flew to the next tree and started chirping like crazy. Bunny and I decided that he was calling his friends. I had no idea there was such a need for a bird restaurant in the area. :o)P